HVRHS students' failing grades reported

FALLS VILLAGE >> Thirty-seven students, or about 40 percent of seniors at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, had at least one failing grade during the first semester of the 2012-13 school year, according to a report given to the Region 1 Board of Education Monday night.

That dismal finding was followed by similar numbers for failing grades in other classes: 38 students, or about 32 percent of the junior class; 41 students, or about 41 percent of sophomores, and 20 students, about 18 percent of the freshman class.

"I am not happy with these grades at all. We are not satisfied with it, but we have been moving in the right direction," said Principal Matt Harnett, who is in his third year at the helm of the school.

He said that he and assistant principal Ian Strever have "started a conversation about raising standards and being more relevant." In addition, he said discussions with staff have suggested raising standards and being more rigorous are desirable.

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"But we have to decide what that means," he cautioned. "In some schools in the past, teachers have just assigned more homework -- but it goes beyond that."

For instance, he said the state currently requires students to successfully earn 21 credits to graduate. Housatonic's standard is 23 credits with the possibility that will be increased to 25. "If a student comes in as a freshman and does what is expected through his junior year, he only has to earn two credits in his senior year," he explained. "Apathy becomes a problem for seniors -- they will say, 'I don't need to pass that course.'"

Harnett said raising the number of courses needed for graduation could help counter this. The state is also considering raising the number of required classes to make it mandatory for students to pass core subjects like English, history, math and science in all four years. But this, he said, would make scheduling more difficult and would lessen students' ability to take courses they are interested in.

"The state is talking about four across the board, but that locks up the kids' schedule with little room for error," he observed. "There may be three years of a foreign language required--that would restructure everything--electives, staff, all these things have to be figured in."

He added that making more early college credit courses available to students "gets them on the path to post-secondary work, which is what we want."

At present there are too many gaps between classes when students are face-to-face with their teachers the principal said. "It could be three or four days before a student is in a teacher's classroom again," he said. "That is too long."

He also said that some "expectations and policies" need to be reviewed.

Adding to the difficulties of changing expectations and outcomes is the continuing downward trend of the student population. In her report, superintendent of schools Patricia Chamberlain introduced an enrollment forecast that showed 178 fewer students at HVRHS by 2020. Enrollments have been declining annually for decades.

"You can see the downward trend by the chart," Chamberlain said. "This projection is even lower than the last one."

Harnett said that seniors are beginning to receive acceptance letters from colleges. "We have found some good letters and good results, kids are getting into their schools of first choice," he said, adding that the preponderance of the acceptance letters will come later in the spring. "Some are getting some nice scholarship offers," he concluded.

Harnett asked permission to hire a hall monitor for after school hours. "This building is a huge traffic area all day long," he said. "After school there are any number of activities with kids all over. We need someone assigned inside and outside the building to monitor. It would add a level of security--there is a level of safety that comes into play."

He suggested that the position would cost $7,500 for a school year. "This is a response to what people asked for in increased security," he said.

The board approved the proposal.

Business manager Sam Herrick described an effort to contain transportation costs over the next seven years. Through an agreement with All-Star Transportation, which buses HVRHS students from the six member towns, the high school would purchase 27 new buses through a lease. At the end of the lease All-Star would pay fair market value for the buses.

The contractor would realize savings by not paying sales tax on new vehicles that can cost up $85,000, while the district would be guaranteed cost increases of 2.5 percent a year and 0 percent in the first year.

"It average 1.8 percent per year over seven years," said Herrick. "Our thinking is that they are being more than fair."